Liaise with NSSF :

• Thank you for the level of detail you have included in this section. You have gone beyond the call of duty to produce a thorough, well detailed account of the contact between myself and the cluster. You have also provided additional anecdotal evidence of the outcomes achieved from these interactions.
• I really appreciated being able to visit with the cluster members and encourage anyone who needs virtual support to continue to make contact with me.

Cluster elected goal  - Use of ICT as a means of exploring and implementing the new curriculum (and Te Whariki), specifically the Key Competencies and the Learning Areas.   

From reading the report,

• You have identified clear and specific goals to address thinking skills and strategies.
• There has been mention of links to the wiki in relation to evidence and outcomes. Going back now in more detail, I have since had difficulty finding specific links such as, "Some indication of this professional development is available on the cluster wiki which includes links to related resources and the beginnings of a brain-related professional discussion." Therefore, it would be useful to add direct links (urls) in the report to the precise areas of the wiki – as supporting evidence.
• Having been a small part of the 'combination key' lesson sequence, it would also be useful to view teacher comments about this process, (like direct quotes), student reflections (from assessment tasks) and samples of student work. "Further details related to the planning of the intensive, as well as finished pieces of student work can be found on the Great Barrier Island cluster wiki." Once again, I'm not sure I have found these examples yet. A direct link in subsequent reports would definitely help.
• You are wise to write, "Lesson plans and examples of thinking-related student process and product will be published on the wiki as they are completed and it is expected that classroom environments will also reflect this work."  This will be able to provide some examples to share with others in the cluster, to help maintain the collegial communication and relationships between teachers within each cluster school. It may encourage teachers to access the cluster wiki more and will also help to provide some evidence of processes and practice as a direct result of the ICT PD related activities.
• Your reflection on the key lessons is important as you consider the implications of working together as a cluster. You have successfully considered your next steps to continue to; encourage teacher dialogue, support teachers and schools with thinking infused strategic and classroom planning, utilise internal and external support. May I recommend that some form of teacher reflection cycles are considered as you, "share and celebrate resulting student work."  These might be collected as case notes, vignettes, stories, journal entries of blogs. 

In her synthesis of Teacher Professional Learning and Development, Helen Timperley summarizes that one of the important elements of teacher learning is, 4. Assessment for professional inquiry which,"identifies the need to use assessment as the basis for professional inquiry". This is important as an identified practice. See Timperley's Teacher inquiry and knowledge-building cycles (p20). As a result of this practice, any reflective dialogue can also be used to inform future practice, appraisals and data/evidence for subsequent milestone reports.

In the case of your cluster goals, you are clearly defining how ICTs and thinking and enhance learning outcomes for students. I would encourage you to stay focused on your cluster goals and to continue to find ways to document any ICT related valued outcomes – as photos (with explanations), anecdotal comments, samples of planning, student work and reflection of activities undertaken. Reflections may also include the teachers ability to consider the effects of technology on their teaching and the impact on student’s learning and design projects or learning experiences that encourage key competencies, literacies, higher order thinking (beyond low order skills of listing or recalling facts), collaboration, creative thinking, problem solving.

Cluster elected goal  - Use of ICT to access limited resources and meet the needs of specific students.

It has been interesting to read,

• How you have set cluster goals that directly relate to curriculum delivery and student learning outcomes.
• You have been honest in your evaluation of whether or not these cluster goals have been achieved.
• You have also provided a detailed account as to why the Correspondence school has not addressed these goals yet.
• That you have had to re-think ways to address the original goal set for e-asstle training
• I trust that these developments will pick up pace soon and not soley be addressed though ICT intensive weeks.
• To start some maintenance of consistently trialing new ways of working with ICTs, have you possibly thought about online tutorial support for teachers, such as Atomic Learning? http://atomiclearning.com/ There is a cost, but it might be something for the cluster to consider for next year as you address ways to avoid over-stretching your facilitators.
• Your reflections of key lessons learned are honest and appropriate and your considerations for the future are now somewhat urgent as you address these goals as well as progress towards achieving the national programme goals for milestone 4.

1. What learning intentions were discussed and planned for? Facilitators need to co-construct learning intentions WITH teachers, then introduce new ways of working using appropriate e-learning tools and processes.
3. What planning templates were used? Evidence of planning? EG: http://ahg.wikispaces.com/file/view/Facilitator+and+Teacher+Classroom+Modeling.doc
4. What teaching/pedagogical techniques were modelled or developed?

5. What readings, research have supported theories of learning?
6. What were the outcome of these sessions?
7. Were they successful? Is it on-going?
8. How can you know? What evidence has been gathered to show this?

• You are doing well to co-construct learning intentions with teachers, then introducing new ways of presenting using software such as Paint, Powerpoint and Flash.
• You are also doing well to support teacher practice with underpinning of new knowledge through the use of readings and discussions around brain based learning. It would be valuable to see some documented critical reflection as well.
• From now on, you will need to show evidence of new ways of thinking and new ways of working for subsequent milestone reports. They will need to collect the evidence, collate the material and analyse the results. 

Implementation of cluster programme

• You have provided an in-depth account of the programme opportunities provided.
• You have also done well to analyse the value and worth of the outcomes of these events and have provided some supplementary resources as evidence. 
• Your cluster members have had access to a variety of professional learning and professional development opportunities that explore skills, understanding, theory, and pedagogy.
• You have done well to make the best use of both internal and external experts to support cluster members with new learning and your comments, "There are two main lessons for the cluster. These are that firstly there is power in doing things together and secondly there is power in having outside help." are invaluable. Helen Timperley also makes reference to knowledgeable experts as well as internal active leadership in her paper,  Teacher Professional Learning and Development.
• You have been wise to reflect that, "While these days have been valuable they have not really worked to any ‘big picture’. This will change in the second half of the year as facilitator visits prioritize and support teachers in the classroom integration of Thinking."  Timperley notes, 3. Integration of knowledge and skills is more about, "...the importance of integrating theory and practice as they relate to curriculum, teaching practice, and assessment knowledge in the areas that are the focus for professional learning." (p21) Theoretical understandings will underpin on-going consistent integration and infusion of ICTs as teachers understand the rationale for new ways of working. "A skills-only focus does not develop the deep understandings teachers need if they are to change practice in ways that flexibly meet the complex demands of everyday teaching." (page 10). Therefore there is a need to disseminate relevant readings and research so that, "This integration allows teachers to use the theoretical understandings as the basis for making ongoing, principled decisions about practice." (EDUCATIONAL PRACTICES SERIES – 18, March 2008). 

• Thank you for the details submitted in the Disbursement Schedule. Your spending is tracking well for this stage of the contract. I urge you to maintain this for the duration of the contract. Thank you to Mulberry Grove school for managing these funds.

A special thank you to Indira Neville, for her hard work and untiring commitment and leadership in this cluster. Congratulations to the cluster leaders (principals, teachers, support staff) for maintaining developments. I wish you well during the next stages of your contract. This has been honest reporting, indicating some pockets of development across the island. Thank you for sharing this with me.

Have a great week and I look forward to touching base again soon.

Regards,

Tess